Bradley Cooper: De Niro Is The Reason I Became An Actor

By David Chiu •Published March 11, 2011•Updated on March 12, 2011 at 12:45 am

The actor, who stars in the new thriller “Limitless,” said in an interview with Parade magazine that working with co-star Robert De Niro was the icing on the cake.

“My past with him, without him knowing it, goes back a long way. He's the reason I became an actor. It's a fascinating thing to think about. I remember being in high school and thinking about how much Bob was brought up at my table around the holidays and stuff."

U.S. & World

In "Limitless," which also Abbie Cornish, Cooper stars as Eddie, a down-on-his-luck writer who takes a pill that makes him a whole new successful person in business, but discovers that his new-found abilities comes with a price.

Cooper also told Parade that he felt a connection with the Oscar-winning De Niro. “The reason why I think we get along is I love people and he loves people, but I also like not talking. That's sort of our working relationship. Before we became friends, it was kinda clear that we both didn't like talking about the filming process so much, we just did it. Working with him was the opposite of intimidating, it was relaxing. When I would look at the schedule and knew I was working with Bob that day, it was a load off. It's true."

The star also revealed with a laugh that De Niro disappointed that he didn’t have a cameo in the sequel to The Hangover, Cooper’s movie breakthrough. “We didn't talk for weeks. He actually came to Bangkok when we were filming. It was very embarrassing. We were like, 'Bob, please. No.'"